The invention concerns forage harvesters and more specifically to crop control devices for headers for such harvesters.
EP-0 069 898 A describes a multi-row harvesting machine, particularly for corn, in which two cutting and intake drums with cutting arrangements underneath them are arranged side-by-side relative to each other, which cut crop standing on a field and deliver it to intake rolls, that conduct the cut crop to a chopper arrangement. In order to remove the harvested crop from the intake drums and deliver it to the intake rolls, strippers are provided that are arranged ahead of the center of the intake channel formed by the intake rolls. The free ends of the strippers form a vertical slot between which a guide component is provided, that projects upward out of the slot between the free ends of the strippers.
DE 195 27 607 A proposes a mowing arrangement for crops having stalks, that is provided with several mowing disks arranged alongside each other with conveyor disks arranged above them. The harvested crop is taken out of the conveying disks by removal disks and conducted to intake rolls arranged in an intake channel, that conduct it to a chopper arrangement. The removal disks of the two center conveyor disks are arranged immediately ahead of the intake channel. Above these removal disks, an edge extending transverse to the direction of operation is provided that is formed by the rear side of the center divider point, and prevents cut crop stalks from being drawn towards the front through the inner removal disks.
In known machines for mowing crops having stalks (DE 195 31 918 A) that are provided with several mowing and intake drums arranged alongside each other, the crop harvested by the outer mowing and intake drums is initially transported to the side at the rear side of the machine in a transverse channel and then introduced into the intake channel, that is, deflected through 90xc2x0 towards the rear, or opposite to the direction of operation.
It occurs occasionally that, for example, during the harvest of silo corn, only one or two rows of plants remain standing at the edge of a field. These plant rows can be cut and drawn in only with the outer mowing and intake drums of the machine. In the case of a very wide machine, for example, a configuration encompassing eight or ten plant rows, the plants must be transported over a longer path through the transverse conveying channel to the center of the machine. Since no other plants are coming in to the center mowing and intake drums, the plants that have been cut are not supported by material entering the transverse conveying channel, but remain lying in it relatively loosely. As a result of a high center of gravity, the plants will bend downward more and more during the transport in the transverse conveying channel and then slide out of the transverse conveying channel with their lower ends. At the sides ahead of the intake channel, slope conveyor drums are not in a position to grasp the plants projecting with their lower ends out of the transverse conveying channel. The plants come to rest in the transverse direction in front of the transverse conveying drums and then block any further flow of the harvested crop. The clamping effect could be improved by a narrowing of the transverse conveying channel, but in normal operation, that is when plants are being taken in over the entire width of the machine, problems with throughput will be encountered.
The guide components known from EP 0 069 898 A and the edge arranged above the center strippers of DE 195 27 607 A cannot solve the problem either.
The problem underlying the present invention is seen in the need for improving the conveying of harvested crop in a forage harvester, particularly if only one part of the mowing and intake drums is being supplied with plant material.
According to the present invention, there is provided a stalk crop harvesting implement having a header with improved feeding characteristics.
An object of the invention is to provide a header for a forage harvester which effectively controls the delivery of the harvested crop stalks to a discharge channel of the header.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a header having a plurality of intake and mowing arrangements located in side-by-side relationship to each other across the width of the header and ahead of a transverse conveying channel leading to a discharge channel, and to equip the header with a conveying arrangement for gathering and delivering to the rear any crop stalks which emerge from the conveying channel.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings.